Juvenile Tang with Single White Spot for Weeks

[AquaFresh]

I suspect my juvenile tang in qt has ich. I am not entirely sure yet and would like some advice/confirmation before I start dosing copper.

The tang has been in QT for just slightly over three weeks and has had the same white spot above the eye since the day of arrival. I have noticed no rapid breathing, loss of appetite, or any new white spots on him or the group of anthias he is in QT with. The spot has also stayed the same size. Here are few pictures.

Its a bit hard to see from the side but it does stick out a bit. The fish have already gone through two rounds of prazi. I believe this could be ich, its just a bit weird since I read and seen myself that ich tends to drop off the fish and come back, bringing more white spots.

Any help here is greatly appreciated and thanks for reading!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

You're correct; a single ich trophont won't remain in the same place for more than 48 hours or so - the spots drop off, come back smaller, grow larger and perhaps more numerous, then drop off again.

People might say Lymphocystis, and while sailfin tangs do get that viral disease, I've never seen a spot on a fish's head like that.

The fact that you said it seems to be protruding rules out head and lateral line erosion (but these tangs are prone to that).

So - I've told you what it isn't - trouble is, I can't say for certain what it is (grin). A lesion that remains unchanged for a long period, with no other symptoms isn't anything to worry about.

I would start up your copper now, just so something worse doesn't come along.

I'm not sure why people are running prazi and then copper, you should treat the other way around, as protozoans are quicker to kill a fish than flukes are.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

As Jay stated,,,,,, dont count the dots, count the drops (of copper that is). Begin treatment Before it become full blown ich. When it disappears and reappears, the cyst has dropped off to lay its eggs and returned to open camp on the fish for the new cysts

 

[AquaFresh]

You're correct; a single ich trophont won't remain in the same place for more than 48 hours or so - the spots drop off, come back smaller, grow larger and perhaps more numerous, then drop off again.

People might say Lymphocystis, and while sailfin tangs do get that viral disease, I've never seen a spot on a fish's head like that.

The fact that you said it seems to be protruding rules out head and lateral line erosion (but these tangs are prone to that).

So - I've told you what it isn't - trouble is, I can't say for certain what it is (grin). A lesion that remains unchanged for a long period, with no other symptoms isn't anything to worry about.

I would start up your copper now, just so something worse doesn't come along.

I'm not sure why people are running prazi and then copper, you should treat the other way around, as protozoans are quicker to kill a fish than flukes are.

Jay

Yea I was leaning towards dosing copper. Even if that spot is ich or not, it wouldn't rule out if the tang has ich at all, as it could be in the gills or have yet to show itself. I appreciate the help on this.

A couple questions, I often start with prazi as it is a relative "light" treatment in the sense that it won't stress the fish too much(at least as much as copper). So I usually just treat prazi for flukes and will only use copper at the first clear sign of ich. I've read both can be used at the same time so would it still be better to use copper before starting any prazi?

Also, if after 4 weeks of copper the same spot is on the tang and more haven't appeared nor has the same spot gotten bigger, would it still be safe to put it in the display?

 

[AquaFresh]

As Jay stated,,,,,, dont count the dots, count the drops (of copper that is). Begin treatment Before it become full blown ich. When it disappears and reappears, the cyst has dropped off to lay its eggs and returned to open camp on the fish for the new cysts

Thanks for the help! Will be starting copper tonight

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yea I was leaning towards dosing copper. Even if that spot is ich or not, it wouldn't rule out if the tang has ich at all, as it could be in the gills or have yet to show itself. I appreciate the help on this.

A couple questions, I often start with prazi as it is a relative "light" treatment in the sense that it won't stress the fish too much(at least as much as copper). So I usually just treat prazi for flukes and will only use copper at the first clear sign of ich. I've read both can be used at the same time so would it still be better to use copper before starting any prazi?

Also, if after 4 weeks of copper the same spot is on the tang and more haven't appeared nor has the same spot gotten bigger, would it still be safe to put it in the display?

I run prazi and amine-based copper (Cupramine, Coppersafe, etc.) at the same time. My minimum quarantine time is 45 days now - 30 days of copper and prazi and then 14 days of nothing, just to see if anything develops. I also spot check fish for Neobenedenia flukes with FW dips. I also reset the counter to zero if I have an identifiable outbreak of anything during quarantine. I'm never in a hurry to move fish out of quarantine into a stable tank, been bit way too many times.

Jay